before of muslims in america and given what we're facing today, the amount of ignorance surrounding muslims in islam, i feel it's necessary for people to see this. and for people to say, like, you know, i've never looked at it that way before. >> no terrorists here. what are you talking about? >> let me think about it. because this ignorance is what creates fear, and fear, there is so much more that happens when that is in the picture. so we're just trying to clear up some of this ignorance. >> so tarek is a character. >> yes. >> is it kind of like you? did you experience some of the things that he does? >> you know, yeah. the film is actually semiautobiographical. most of the situations in the film are true and definitely dramatized for the film but, for the most part, yes. it is basically a true story sort of so, yeah.